Venn diagram
One circle: “Visibly Trans”
Another: “Feeling Attractive”
Goal: realize there is overlap, make a home there
Still working on this. I was reminded today when a friend kept obsessing about ‘passing’, not for safety or for her own feeling of presence, but because she has learned that validation comes through being an object of desire.
Hey.
So this is a movie about transgender people, that has (from the images) at least 4/5 of the main people as TPoC (and 3/5 are Black).
Let’s boost the fuck out of this and see if we can’t get them the money for this doc.
I am eager to support this project in any way I can. Check it out and give and boost and listen.
(via meyllendjneres)
I don’t really care if you think of gender as a performative, as long as you acknowledge that any given actor is going to be better suited to some roles rather than others.
That is, this “performance” is far richer, deeper, nuanced, and comfortable than my previous one, and therefore ultimately more satisfying to both me and my “audience”.
Enjoy the show.
Offered in New York City Friday - Saturday nights 12AM-4AM. If you or a friend need a safe ride, please call! Save this number and spread the word! What a wonderful organization
This sounds like a really great resource!
Brilliant.
(via biyuti)
Crossing Over tells the particular and complex story of the transgender Latin immigrant community in Los Angeles through three of its most distinctive members.
Brenda came to the United States from Mexico over ten years ago to escape mental and physical abuse, and after initially struggling to survive in the U.S. by any means possible, eventually sought asylum and was allowed to stay. Brenda works as a community advocate and HIV support-group leader, but it is her vivacious personality and light that truly makes her a matriarch among her community.
Abigail is newer to the US than Brenda, and though she too has sought asylum, she is still figuring out how to get by. She works as a nightclub dancer and quinceñara planner in order to put herself through community college. While she dreams of eventually becoming a lawyer to fight for the rights of people like her, she must battle what seem like insurmountable demons to achieve her goals—depression, addiction, and poverty.
Francis has worked for a decade as a housekeeper and caretaker for the same family in Los Angeles, and is on the brink of the final asylum hearing that will determine whether she can remain in the United States.
Each subject lives a very different facet of the trans-Latina experience, and yet the message that their stories convey is unified and clear—that this is a community that has faced inconceivable abuses and yet have risen to create an environment of love, leadership, and support, and for these reasons deserve to live in this country.
Watch the trailer below:
Crossing Over is currently in the stages of post-production. Look for the finished product September 2013. Katrina Sorrentino, from Nomadique, is the Producer for Crossing Over. This post was written by Alex Pitz, who is the Associate Producer and screenwriter for Crossing Over.
Photos taken by Isabel Castro
I need to see this. We all need to see this.
It really shouldn’t still surprise me, but damn, the multitude of ways in which the racial divide in our community manifest is staggering.
We Happy Trans and Girls Like Us were started at the same time, both were always inclusive efforts, and Janet and I are personal friends, but I still occasionally see people say that one is for people of color and one is for white people.
The Trans 100 was started by Toni D’orsay, and is arguably one of the most diverse and inclusive projects to come out of the LGBT community. Toni and I talk every day, I learn so much from her, and everything I’ve done has been done in collaboration. I mention her in every quote, and in every interview. And yet every day I see white trans people talk about the Trans 100 and only mention my name.
It’s not conscious, but it’s sure as hell consistent. Either way it’s an issue.
Guess I’ll just keep being obnoxious about it.
Bailey & I are finally back! Episode 2 finds our “Unlikely Duo” chatting about current trans-related news stories, the different corners of the trans* community, The Trans 100, race, dating, and privilege. We even take a couple messages from The Sugar and Spice Trans Advice line (leave a message anytime at 1-(405)TRANS-05), and talk about being “trans enough” and not losing your funny bone when you start living your authentic life.
Since the press release and BuzzFeed article did not include the introductions contained in the PDF, many may not have seen the opening statement below, which addresses some of the questions that have come up since. Though there is much I would now add, this is what was published:
What you are…
WE HAPPY TRANS, THIS IS HOW, CHICAGO HOUSE AND GLAAD ANNOUNCE FIRST EVER ‘TRANS 100’ LIST
Inaugural Trans 100 List Focuses on Positive Work Being Accomplished by Trans People Nationwide
Chicago, Tuesday, April 9, 2013 – We Happy Trans, a website that celebrates the positive experiences of transgender people, and This is H.O.W., a Phoenix based non profit organization dedicated to the betterment of the lives of trans people, today announced the full published Trans 100 list, an inaugural overview of the breadth and diversity of work being done in, by, and for the transgender community across the United States. The 2013 Trans 100 list was presented at an event sponsored by Chicago House, GLAAD, the Pierce Family Foundation, Orbitz.com, and KOKUMOMEDIA.
The list began as an idea by This Is H.O.W. Executive Director Antonia D’orsay, then developed in partnership with Jen Richards of We Happy Trans. The project received over 500 nominations in December 2012, with over 360 individuals recommended for inclusion.
The first effort of its kind, the list intends to shift the coverage of trans issues by focusing on the positive work being accomplished, and providing visibility to those typically underrepresented. A launch event for the Trans 100 list took place at Mayne Stage in Chicago on International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day which aims to bring attention to the accomplishments of transgender people around the world.
The event featured guest speakers Janet Mock, a trans activist and writer, Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler, a GLAAD Award-nominated blogger and filmmaker, musicians Namoli Brennet and Joe Stevens, performer and activist KOKUMO, producer Jen Richards, and 10 co-presenters representing the Chicago trans community.
“The only sustainable self-interest is that which extends the sense of self to include the whole,” said Jen Richards at the Trans 100 launch event. “Look around: women, men, people of color, genderqueer people, crossdressers, showgirls, sex workers, academics, activists, artists, and allies. We are all one community.”
“I am here tonight because of the 99 other names on the inaugural Trans 100 list and the unrecognized thousands who are not on this list whose quiet acts are changing lives,” said Janet Mock. “They are the dream realized.”
“It is my hope that everyone in this room will use the names on this list as inspiration to continue doing the necessary work,” said Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler at the event. “Let them propel you to be the advocates and activists our community needs. If you do not identify as either, then I urge you to use the names on the list as a simple gesture to keep living.”
“The value of the work that is represented by the 100 people on this list is immeasurable,” said Executive Director of This Is H.O.W., Antonia D’orsay, about the Trans 100. “These people demonstrate the diversity, the determination, and the incredible triumph of spirit that informs all trans people, no matter where they are. This is just a glimpse of what trans people can accomplish.”
“The Trans 100 will bring much-needed visibility to the critical, grassroots work that trans people have been doing in communities across the country for years,” said GLAAD’s Wilson Cruz. “While media coverage so often misses the mark on accurate portrayals of trans people, the Trans 100 is changing the game by sharing the inspiring and diverse stories behind trans advocacy.”
KOKUMO, an artist, activist, and African American transgender woman, hosted the event. Two accomplished transgender musicians – folk-rock songwriter Namoli Brennet, and singer Joe Stevens of the West Coast-based Folk/Roots group Coyote Grace – gave live performances.
Jen Richards partnered with Chicago House and KOKUMOMEDIA to produce Chicago’s Trans 100 launch event. GLAAD served as Inaugural Sponsor, with additional support from the Pierce Family Foundation, Orbitz.com, Progress Printing, and Dr. Graphx. Both Chicago House’s TransLife Project and This is H.O.W. provide direct services to transgender people experiencing homelessness, unemployment, violence, health disparities, and HIV infection. KOKUMOMEDIA uses film, music, and literature to provide to create and generate realistic depictions of transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGI) people of color.
The Trans 100:
- Abigail Jensen
- Aidan Key
- Alexis Martinez
- Allyson Robinson
- Andre Perez
- Andy Karol
- Andy Marra
- Anna Anthropy
- Asher Kolieboi
- Avory Faucette
- Bamby Salcedo
- Baylie Roth
- Ben Hudson
- Blake Alford
- Bree Sutherland
- Carter Brown
- Cecilia Chung
- Channyn Lynne Parker
- Charlie Solidum
- Che Gossett
- Christina Kahrl
- Cristina Herrera
- Claire Swinford
- Diego Sanchez
- Drago Renteria
- Dru Levasseur
- Earline Budd
- Eli Erlick
- ellie june navidson
- Elliot Fukui
- Erin Armstrong
- Harmony Santana
- Harper Jean Tobin
- Ida Hammer
- Ignacio Rivera
- Ja-briel Walthour
- Jaan Williams
- Janet Mock
- Jenn Burleton
- Jenny Boylan
- Justus Eisfeld
- Kate Bornstein
- Kate Sosin
- Katherine Cross
- Katie Burgess
- Katy Stewart
- Kay Barrett
- Kelley Winters
- KOKUMO
- Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler
- Kylar Broadus
- Laverne Cox
- Lincoln Rose
- Loan Tran
- Mara Keisling
- Marisa Richmond
- Marsha Botzer
- Masen Davis
- Matt Kailey
- Mel Goodwin
- Mia Tu Mutch
- Michelle Enfield
- Miss Major Griffin-Gacy
- Monica Roberts
- Monika Mhz
- Namoli Brennet
- Nicholas Love
- Nick Teich
- Niko Kowell
- Nino Dorenzo
- Ola Osaze
- Owen Daniel-McCarter
- Paisley Currah
- Pauline Park
- Phyllis Frye
- Qwo-Li Driskill
- Rebecca Allison
- Rebecca Kling
- Reina Gossett
- Ruby Corado
- Ryan Blackhawke
- Ryka Aoki
- S. Bear Bergman
- Sadie Baker
- Sasha Alexander Goldberg
- Sassafras Lowrey
- Sean-Michael Gettys
- Shane Morgan
- Shawn Demmons
- Spencer Bergstedt
- Stephen Ira
- Susan Stryker
- Tei Okamato
- Tracie O’Brien
- Trisha Lee Holloway
- Trudie Jackson
- Van Binfa
- Van Ngyuen
- Yoseñio V. Lewis
- Zander Keig
###
About We Happy Trans: WeHappyTrans.com was launched in early in 2012 in response to the lack of positive depictions of trans people in the media, and the absence of an online space that focused on the positive aspects of the trans experience. For more information, please visit www.wehappytrans.com or connect with We Happy Trans on Facebook and Twitter.
About This is H.O.W.: This Is H.O.W. Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the betterment of the lives of Trans (transsexual, transgender, and gender variant) persons experiencing crisis situations such as homelessness, substance abuse, familial abuse, and transition related difficulties. For more information, please visit www.thisishow.org or connect with This is H.O.W. on Facebook and Twitter.
